Rotary valve



June 9, 1931. L. J. ROCHE 1,808,936

ROTARY VALVE Filed Dec. 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNE'K ROTARY VALVE Filed Dec. 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x12 TOEJYE'X' Patented June 9, 1931 LA'WV J'. R'GCIIE, OF HARMONY, IYIINNESGTA ROTARY VALVE Application fled Eccember 13, 1926. Serial No. 154,642.

My invention relates to a new type of exhaust and intake valve ior internal combustion motors and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient and economical rotary valve particularly adaptable for automobile engines and the like. Further objects will be revealed in the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 is a side elevation, partially in longitudinal section, of the upper portion of automobile engine embodying my improved valve device.

Fig.2 is a vertical cross sectional elevation through one of the cylinders as at 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is afront elevation of a gas engine embodying my improved valve in modified form.

7 Fig. l is a partly sectional side elevation of Fig. 3, the sectional part being as at line H in said Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of an end portion of the compression bar of my device and adjacent parts, about as on line 55 in Fig. st. 7

Fig. 6 is a front end View of an automobile engine with a modified application and constr ction of my valve which is cooled by air from the fan usually arranged forward of the engine.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals 6 designates an explosive type engine of any type, '1' the carburetor, 8 the exhaust pipe, 9 tie cylinder casting bored for pistons 10. My invention involves a special cylinder head 11 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 6) prefei'ably for monobloc engines though it is also applicable to larger engines with two or three part heads. In Figs. 1 and 2 the cylinder blocks are also of a special design above the piston bore and in Figs. 3, at and 5 the head is desi nated as 11X planed vertically and longitudinally of the cylinder head, as face 12X,

whereas in Figs. 1 and 2 this face is designated as 12. In either case there is a water cooled cap 13 planed to be fitted against each said head by bolts 1% and in either case the cap and head are bored longitudinally on their common center line for a tubular or cylindrical rotatable valve member 15.

The rotating means for the valve cylinder 15 comprises a central shaft extension 158 at the forward end and carrying a suitable gear driven by a silent chain 16 as in Fig. 1 or other suitable chain as 15 shown partly dotted in Fig. 3, said chain being preferably driven by an auxiliary gear as 22, in Fig. 3, fixed on the front end of a stub shaft 17. This latter shaft is in corresponding position to the cam shaft of the usual type of gas engine and may be housed in a closure-18 in which is a gear 19 meshing with a gear 20 keyed on the engine crank shaft 21, the forv iner gear being of course keyed on said cam shaft or stub shaft 17 although I prefer to use a stub shaft because no cam shaft is required in the use of my device. In the modified form of my device shown in Fig. 6 the driving means are somewhat differentias will be later described herein. 1

23 is'a fuel intake pipe extending from the carburetor 7 rearwardly, thence upward-I ly and forwardly concentric of valve 15 as shown and preferably communicating as at 236 with the interior of my hollow valve or it may be connected at both ends of the cylindrical valve (not shown).

2 is a transverse elongated slot and 25 an adjacent groove or depression in. cylinder 15 both being parallel to each other and one pair provided over each cylinder top wall. SWhaving an aperture 26 in alin'ement vertically below a slot 24 and another aperture 27 alined vertically below a depression 25.

' Each aperture 26 is so arranged'that when the piston below it is going down in the 'socalled suction stroke, gas is drawn through said aperture and through slot 24 above it said slot being of a length such that it provides a passage for gas to pass through it and said aperture until the piston reaches the end of the suction stroke, as the valve rotates. The end of the slot reaches the aperture and passes it to close the latter just as the piston starts upward on th compression stroke. The compressed gases are ignited in the'usual manner by spark plugs (not shown), and as the. piston comes up again in the so-called exhaust stroke, the products of combustion are pushed upwardly through aperture 27 which at this time communicates with the groove 25 in the cylinder and said groove in turn communicates directly with the exhaust manifold 8 through an aperture 28 in the cylinder head. The relative sizes of the slots 24;, the depressions 25 and the apertures 26 and 27 are of course simply engineering details involving governing conditions such as the size of piston bore, compression space horse-power and revolutions per minute and proper timing gears, etc.

29 is what I prefer to call a compression bar arranged longitudinally of the valve member 15 in the head and adapted to be pressed against the surface of the latter by suitable means such as the helical compression coil springs 30 suitably inclosed in housings 11H. This compression bar maybe vertically above the valve member 15, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be horizontally from the center of the Valve member as in Figs. 3 and l, and it may be made in one piece or in any suitable number of sections. This compression bar serves to hold the cylindrical valve 15 rigidly within its bore and I may also further provide set screws, as 31 in Fig. 1. It will be understood that the surface of the compression bar pressing against the valve member is rounded to conform to the outer curvature of the valve. To reduce the friction between these two surfaces I provide suitable oil passages 32 in the cylinder head and connected in any suitable manner with the oil pump (not shown) of an automobile engine. Said passage 32 leads oil to the back of the bar 29 and from thence it may circulate to said friction areas through apertures 35 (Fig. 4) or oil grooves 33 in the sides of the bar, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus an ample supply of oil is assured to provide the proper film of lubricant between the station ary and the rotating parts.

In Fig. 6 the tubular valve 15 has only one depressed groove 25 for each cylinder and said valve when turning in direction of arrow 41 and in position shown causes communication through carburetor extension pipe 23X, said groove and the compression chamber during the suction stroke of the piston as indicated by arrow 42, and as the valve continues to rotate the said groove is moved away from said communicating position during the firing stroke or so-called power stroke. When the said groove is rotated to position between lines 13 and 4a communication is established by the groove, between the compression chamber and the outlet 45 to exhaust the burned gases via said groove which latter, immediately after said exhaust action, comes into the gas intake position as above described. Thus only one depression or groove 25 serves as gas intake and exhaust port communicating means.

In the form of my device shown in Fig. 6,

which may be considered a preferred construction of the device, it is obvious that part of the air current from the fan (not shown) usually directly forward of the engine will circulate through the cylindrical valve to keep the latter as near a uniform temperature as possible and easily rotated. In this Fig. 6 is also shown that the valve is rotated by chain 16, shown dotted, connecting the gear 20 on the crank-shaft directly with a gear 40, also shown dotted, suitably fixed to the front end of the cylindrical valve.

I claim:

1. In a gas engine having a rotatable tubular gas intake and exhaust valve with transverse depressions in its exterior adapted during rotary movement of the valve to successively open passage means for intake of fuel to the engine and exhaust passage means from the respective compression chambers of the engine; an elongated compression bar member mounted in a groove provided in the engine head adjacent the exterior of said valve and longitudinally thereof, said bar having an elongated bearing surface contacting with the said valve, yieldable means pressing the said bar against the valve, and lubrication conducting means consisting of oil conducting passages provided in said engine head and leading to the outer parts of said bar, and further lubricating meansin the bar comprising the provision of oil passages in the bar leading to its surface contacting with the valve, said latter conducting means being in communication with the first described conducting means.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, in which the oil passages of the bar are formed with enlarged, elongated openings, in the face of the bar, contacting with the said valve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LAWRENCE J. ROCHE. 

